{"id":62383,"date":"2020-07-16T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T07:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.munich-startup.net\/?p=62383"},"modified":"2022-07-04T08:08:36","modified_gmt":"2022-07-04T06:08:36","slug":"cook-and-code-club-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.munich-startup.net\/en\/62383\/cook-and-code-club-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Join the Club \u2013 News from Cook and Code"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Munich Startup:<\/em><\/strong> For those who don't know Cook and Code yet: Please briefly explain what it is and how you came up with the idea.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex Hoffmann:<\/em> Cook and Code offers IT courses for absolute beginners. These primarily include programming courses in the area of web development. Participants learn, for example, how to create an app or a website. But Cook and Code isn't just about learning programming; it's also about developing self-confidence in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I originally wanted to finance my studies with programming courses, as I already saw the need for many people to acquire IT knowledge. However, since existing training providers didn't have any trainer positions available at the time, I developed Cook and Code. It also helped that I was working on the Academic Program for Entrepreneurship (APE)<\/a> of the SCE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cook and Code founder Alex Hoffmann in action. (Photo: Cook and Code)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The original idea behind Cook and Code was to connect people with IT problems\u2014like a broken laptop, for example\u2014with IT experts who can solve the problem. The food they bring can then be seen as a form of compensation. This approach worked really well; loads of people showed up with broken devices and food, along with IT experts who easily earned an hourly rate of \u20ac200. However, these open meetings were difficult to plan: sometimes there would only be two IT experts for every 30 people. From that point on, it became clear to me that this open model wasn't sustainable and that I should focus on IT training instead. Since then, Cook and Code has primarily offered workshops and seminars for beginners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munich Startup: <\/em>What courses do you offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex Hoffmann: <\/em>Our offering consists of crash courses, which are designed to give participants an insight into topics such as HTML, JavaScript, Python or chatbots in 90-minute units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new element has recently been added: Cook and Code Club<\/a>Here, club members can learn programming through their own projects, such as creating their own website or app. Unlike the crash courses, the courses in the club area build on one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fixed dates like football training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Originally, I assumed that 90-minute crash courses would be sufficient. Over time, however, it became clear that many people would like to continue. And that it helps them enormously to have a fixed time, a dedicated contact person, and a group \u2013 we like to compare it to soccer practice, which takes place once a week. The club provides a certain degree of continuity, so what's learned can really stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, you can also become a club member without a specific project. We always find exciting things to implement. For example, participants are currently programming the website for a poetry slam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fixed dates and concrete projects are designed to help students better internalize what they've learned at the Cook and Code Club. (Photo: Cook and Code)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Munich Startup:<\/em><\/strong> What benefits do club members have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex Hoffmann:<\/em> In short:<\/p>\n\n\n\n